This application represents a request for partial support for an upcoming Malignant Hyperthermia Association of the United States (MHAUS)-sponsored scientific conference to be held April 23-24, 2010, at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). This conference will gather an interdisciplinary group of experts including clinicians, geneticists involved in malignant hyperthermia (MH) research and counseling, and basic scientists studying mechanisms of Ca2+ regulation and dysregulation in normal and MH skeletal muscle, to exchange new information and ideas as they relate to MH and other muscle disorders. The overall goal of the conference is to allow clinicians and scientists to share new data, translate that information into effective strategies for patient diagnosis and management, and provide motivation for new research efforts. The specific aims of the conference are to convene approximately 50 total participants, with about 20 invited speakers in a total of 5 sessions, with session chairs providing an introduction to and moderating each session. The topics of the sessions will include advances in understanding the pathophysiology of MH, genetic testing, MH epidemiology and case studies, the relationship between MH-susceptibility and other muscle disorders, and future directions in clinical practice, educational initiatives, and MH-related research. The significance of the conference is that like many skeletal muscle disorders, MH is characterized by abnormalities in Excitation-Contraction Coupling (ECC) and the control of myoplasmic calcium (Ca2+) levels during muscle activation. Advances in understanding these processes will help progress the field of MH research, as well as contribute to the understanding of muscle dysfunction and disease. The health relatedness of the conference is that clinicians will be able to provide better advice about the care and treatment of patients at risk for MH or MH-like events, and basic scientists will also continue to gain insights into how their research relates to human health. This conference should also encourage new experimental approaches to understanding basic mechanisms in the pathophysiology of MH that may lead to new approaches to therapeutics and diagnostics.